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Can propane-powered equipment be an approach to help achieve credit compliance?

Inquiry

Can propane-powered equipment be an approach to help achieve credit compliance?

Ruling

As part of this credit, the project is to employ a building exterior and hardscape management plan that uses best management practices to reduce air pollution and chemical runoff compared with standard practices.

Propane-powered equipment, in place of all gasoline-powered equipment, is an acceptable site management strategy to demonstrate compliance for this part of the credit. Propane conversion for 2 cycle equipment, and 24 inch or smaller push mowers, is not currently available and therefore is not required at this time.

Clarify which deicers or deicer blends should be used and if there is an alternative approach to meeting the credit requirements.

Inquiry

Clarify which deicers or deicer blends should be used and if there is an alternative approach to meeting the credit requirements.

Ruling

***Updated on 1/1/2015 to clarify and simplify the deicer requirements.

Projects may use one of the following compliance paths to achieve the deicer portion of the snow and ice removal requirements for SS Credit 2: Building Exterior and Hardscape Management Plan.

1. Use only deicers that contain 100% calcium magnesium acetate.

OR

2. Demonstrate that environmentally-preferred deicers were used at least 20% of the time during the performance period, measured by weight, volume, or cost (environmentally-preferred deicers contain less than 5% sodium chloride, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium chloride, potassium acetate, ammonia-based products, and ferrocyanide products). Implement a deicer quality assurance monitoring plan during the performance period to track ongoing deicer use and record its effects for every snow event (monitoring could include: if deicer was applied prior to snow events, if areas were shoveled prior to deicer application, the amount of snow over the season, the temperature when deicer was applied, the time for snow to melt, etc). It should also include a plan to phase out all deicers that are not environmentally-preferred within 3 years.

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***Updated 1/1/2013 to: (1) remove the alternative weighted average approach; (2) add guidance on the baseline for the 50% reduction of application area; (3) clarify the use of CMA and CMA blends; (4) clarify the percentage of NaCl and CaCl; and (5) expand upon sound snow and ice best management practices.

Projects may use the following compliance paths to achieve the deicer portion of snow and ice removal requirements for SS Credit 2: Building Exterior and Hardscape Management Plan.

1. Demonstrate that the total application area has been reduced by 50%. Hardscape areas like parking lots, sidewalks, pedestrian travel areas and circulation routes should be considered and cannot be included for the application area reduction.

OR

1. Use a Calcium Magnesium Acetate (CMA) deicer, or a mix that contains a minimum of 30% CMA. If that is not possible, explain the circumstances and use deicer products that contain no greater than 5% of Sodium Chloride (NaCl) or Calcium Chloride (CaCl) in their applied state.

AND

2. Identify the salt-sensitive areas on the site and apply 4 of the following 8 principles of sound snow and ice best management practices:
- For manually applied deicing products, use calibrated spreaders to apply products as recommended by the manufacturer’s label instructions.
- Identify snow piling locations on the site and push snow into those areas to mini-mize sheet runoff and refreezing problems.
- All salt spreading vehicles should be equipped with electronic spreader controls. These instruments allow the operator to control both the amount and location of the salt spread.
- When appropriate, install infrared thermometers in the vehicles to provide fast, accurate pavement and air temperatures.
- Use pre-wetted salt whenever possible, as an alternative to dry salt.
- Keep records of salt use and its effect for each and every snow event. Trial and error is one effective way to learn optimum salt usage.
- Seek out and use weather forecasting and tracking information for your local re-gion, paying particular attention to pavement temperature.
- Keep up to date on alternative chemicals and blends (such as calcium magnesium acetate) that are environmental friendly by attending professional conferences and workshops and by sharing information with other professionals.

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4/1/2012
The current snow and ice removal requirements for SS Credit 2: Building Exterior and Hardscape Management Plan allow for a weighted average approach to document achievement. However, as an alternative, projects may use the following compliance path to achieve the deicer portion of the requirements:

Demonstrate that the total application area has been reduced by 50%.

AND

Identify the salt-sensitive areas on the site and apply 4 of the following 6 principles of sound snow and ice best management practices:
- All salt spreading vehicles should be equipped with electronic spreader controls. These instruments allow the operator to control both the amount and location of the salt spread.
- When appropriate, install infrared thermometers in the vehicles to provide fast, accurate pavement and air temperatures.
- Use pre-wetted salt whenever possible, as an alternative to dry salt.
- Keep records of salt use and its effect for each and every snow event. Trial and error is one effective way to learn optimum salt usage.
- Seek out and use weather forecasting and tracking information for your local region, paying particular attention to pavement temperature.
- Keep up to date on alternative chemicals and blends (such as calcium magnesium acetate) that are environmental friendly by attending professional conferences and workshops and by sharing information with other professionals.